Find Rockingham on Facebook

Find Rockingham on Facebook - The West Australian

Facebook endorsed the City of Rockingham’s launch in to the social media sphere on Wednesday.

More than 100 people attended council’s business leadership forum, which officially launched its Facebook and Twitter pages.

Facebook Australia and New Zealand manager Peter Gan said the City’s page would enable residents to reach out and interact with council.

‘‘With the City actively engaging with residents via Facebook, it will help promote the City of Rockingham’s best qualities, which will encourage more West Australians to visit, reside and invest in the City,’’ he said.

Rockingham Mayor Barry Sammels said while the City was not the first council to implement social media, it had been well-researched to become a valuable tool.

‘‘Council sees digital media as an important tool to reach more members of our community with news and information,’’ he said.

‘‘There was a whole younger section of our community that the organisation was not reaching, and with the overwhelming popularity of social media, our traditional methods of communication were not as effective as they once were.

‘‘For the City of Rockingham, the use of social media certainly became a case of how and when, not if, we investigate these revolutionary new internet-based ways to talk to people and share information.’’

Keynote speaker Brian Giesen, from Social@Ogilvy Public Relations, said the City was setting the standard for how government could join two-way dialogue with the public.

‘‘The City’s approach provides some important lessons for all Australian businesses on how to use social media to competitive advantage,’’ he said.